Filters for automotive fuel systems are generally provided with a fine mesh screen for removing foreign particles from fuel prior to its introduction into a carburetor.
Automobile carburetors are often provided with an entrance valve comprising a metallic needle and seat. Repeated opening and closing of the entrance valve effects a slight magnetization of the needle and seat. Consequently, magnetic particles often present in the fuel are attacted to the entrance valve assembly, resulting in a jamming of the valve and improper functioning of the carburetor. The present invention provides an in-line filter having a magnetic filter and two nylon mesh filters in a parallel flow relationship. The present filter tends to prevent this jamming of the carburetor entrance valve and other difficulties caused by the introduction of foreign matter into the carburetor.
The prior art discloses several compact fuel filters such as Combest, U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,232. However, because of their relatively small filtering area, their useful life is short and they tend to have substantial pressure loses at high flow rates. By creating two parallel flow paths, the instant design has both a relatively large filtering area (which produces a long service life) and a low pressure drop while retaining its small size.
Filters having magnetic elements have previously been used for filtering magnetic particles from the gasoline supplied to internal combustion engines. However, many prior art magnetic fuel filters have included a settling bowl which must be oriented in a predetermined way upon the fuel pump or carburetor. The instant invention provides an in-line magnetic filter which can be positioned anywhere in an automobile fuel line between the fuel pump and the carburetor and which can be oriented either vertically, horizontally, or obliquely.